YPERICUM PERFORATUM. COMMON St. JoHNTs WoRT. 



HYPERICUM LinnaiGen. PL Polyadelphia Polyandria. 



Rail Synopfis Gen. 24. Herb^ Pentapetal^e Vasculifer.e. 

 HYPERICUA1 perforatum, floribus trigynis, caule ancipiti, foliis obtufis pellucido-punctatis. Linnai Svfti 



Vegeiab. p. 584. Fl. Suecic. n. 680. 

 HYPERICUM caule terete, alato, ramofiffimo ; foliis ovatis, perforatis. Hal/en hijl. vol. 2. p. 4. 

 HYPERICUM vulgare Bauhin. Pin. p. 279. Gerard, emac. 540. Parkin/on 57 2. Rati Synop. 342. Hudfon F/. 



Angl. 290. Scopoli. F/. CarnioL n. 944, 



Tota planta glandulis nigris adfperfa. % The whole plant is fprinkled over with fmall black glands. 



RADIX perennis, lignofa, fufca. | P..OOT pereilnial, woody, of a" brown colour; 



I 



CAULES plerumque plures ex eadem radice, bipedales, | STALKS feveral for the molt part* fpringing from the 

 erecti, fublignofi, laves, teretes, altcrne ami- | fame root, about two feet high, upright, woody, 



piles fig. 1, ramofi. % finooth, round, alternately two edged, fig. 1, 



I much branched* 



RAMI oppofiti, fuberecli, ancipites, J BRANCHES oppofite, nearly upright, two edged* 



FOLIA oppofita, feffilia, ovato-oblonga, obtufa, per- $ LEAVES oppofite, feffile, of an oblong oval mape* 



forata five pellucido-pun&ata, heptanervia ex | obtufe, having the appearance of being all over 



luteo-viridia. fig. 2. I perforated, of a yeliowifh green colour, with 



£ feven nerves of ribs, fig. 2 



* 



r 



PEDUNCULI ancipites, multifiori. | PEDUNCLES two edged, fupporting many flowers. 



I ^ 

 PANICULA denfa. | PANICLE bufhy, 



CALYX: Perianthium quinquepartitum, ftriatum, | CALYX A Perianthium divided into five fegnients, 

 laciniis lanceolatis, acuminatis, nudis. fig. 3* | and filiated, the fegments narrow and pointed, 



I without any glands on them. fig. 3. 



* 

 COROLLA : petala quinque, flava, ad unum latus ere- | COROLLA: five Petals of a yellow colour, notched 



nulata, glandulis nigris adfperfa. fig. 4. | irregularly on one fide, and fprinkled over 



I with little black glands, fig. 4. 



STAMINA: Filamenta plurima, in tria corpora vix ^ STAMINA: Filaments numerous, uniting at bottom 



coalita. fig. 5. Anthers flavae, biloculares, t in three fcarcely diftincl bodies or faleiculi^. 5. 



loculis fubrotundis, inter quos glandula nigra f Antherje yellow and bilocular, each of the 



ponitur. fig. 6. * Cavities of a roundifh figure, and between 



I them is fituated a fmall black gland, fig. 6. 



i 

 PISTILLUM : Germen fubovatum, Styli tres diva- | PISTILLUM : Germen fomewhat oval, three Styles 



ricantes : Stigmata fimplicia. fig. 7. | which divaricate ; the Stigmata fimple, fig. 7. 



t 

 PERICARPIUM: Capsula fubtrigona fig. 3. trilocu- t SEED-VESSEL: a CapsuiE fomewhat triangular, fig. 



laris fig. 9. pallide fufca. " 8, of a pale brown colour, with three Cavities, 



i fig- 9- 



& 



RECEPTACULUM feu Thalamus feminum foramine | RECEPTACLE : the Receptacle which is continued 



triquetro gaudet, quod in pericarpii immaturi $ through the Capfule, and connects the Cavities 



fectione tranfverfa clare diftingui poteft, ut * together, has a triangular hole in it, which is 



obfervavit CI. Scopoli. | very obvious in a tranfverfe fedlion of it before 



I it is ripe, — as the celebrated Scopoli has juftly 



I obferved. 



SEMINA plurima, oblonga, fufca. fig. 10. 11. ^ SEEDS numerous, oblong, and bfown, fig. 10. 11. 



It very often happens, that fome of the minute parts of the Flower, and Seed, afford a more obvious, certain, and 

 conftant mark of fpecific difference, than any part of the plant befides, and we have a remarkable inft ance of the truth 

 of this obfervation in the plant before us. A little gland, of a black colour, placed on the fuinmit of the Anthera, 

 at one view difringuifhes this fpecies, without any farther investigation : did fuch obvious diitinctions prevail in all 

 plants, a knowledge of them might with much eafe be acquired ; and fortunately we mail find, on examination, fuch 

 marks more frequently occur than is generally imagined ; whenever they do, we fhall not fail to remark them. 



The apparent perforation of the leaves, from whence this fpecies is named, is not peculiar to it alone. 



Although in the prefent practice this officinal plant does not feem to be much regarded, yet its fenfible qualities, 

 and the repeated teftimonies of its virtues, entitle it as Dr. Cullen * obferves to farther trials. To the tafte it is 

 aftringent and bitter, and its effects feem to be chiefly diuretic. From polleffing properties which have generally been 

 called balfamic, it has been ufed as a vulnerary in external wounds, and internal hemorrhages, for the former purpofe, the 

 tops of the plant with the flowers are infufed in oil, and for the latter, an infufion of the plant is made in the man- 

 ner of Tea. It has likewife been given in ulcerations of the kidnies, and has even been fuppofed to poflefs virtues 

 as a febrifuge.- 



It has had the ill fate to be abufed by the fuperftition of the common people in France and Germany, who gather it 

 with great ceremony on St. John's Day, and hang it in their Windows, as a certain charm and defence againfl Storms, 

 Thunder, and evil Spirits ; miftaking the meaning of fome medical writers, who have fancifully given this plant 

 the name of Fuga Damonumbecaufe they fuppofed, if given internally, it was a good medicine for maniacal and hypo- 

 chondriacal Dilorders. 



The dried plant boiled with Allum dyes Wool of a yellow colour. It grows very common in hedges and fields that, 

 are but feldom tilled, and flowers in Auguil and September. 



*Vid. Dr. Cullen's Materia Medica p. 206. 



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